In the traditional world the news organizations had to give out information, and people would consume it. But simply making information available is not enough for today’s public. Today’s audiences expect to be able to choose what they read, and most believe they should be able to contribute content and opinions, too. This shift is generally called the social media.

Basically social media use internet-and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. It has not only benefited journalists but has also helped give individuals a way to speak up to the world.

More and more people prefer reading newspapers online due to the online version being global, free and around forever. If most of the consumers are on line, it is better to reach them online. Traditional media is slowly becoming history. Journalists are now making a good use of social media to engage their audience.

Out there in the wild sea of Internet we can find plenty of attracting fish to consume. However, I came across some interesting article on social media that I believe they are worth sharing with you guys:

Nowadays, we might tend to take for granted the importance of certain social networks. Everyone seems to talk about either Twitter or Facebook, but what about THE others? Bearing in mind the characteristics of each of them, we can exploit their advantages. LindedIn is a great ( and probably the best) tool to do networking.

Social media is the other name of building relationship and develop conversation among individuals and groups.

The generational trend gap is evident when it comes to seeking out romantic connections. The younger generations favour social networking sites like Face book and MySpace, with older singles more commonly opting for tailored dating websites. Older singles are also far more likely to subscribe to dating websites, whereas younger generations favour free sites.
Social Network Sites like Face book are popular with younger folks.

Privacy settings and private messaging enable amorous couples to go about their courtship as publicly or furtively as they like, with the arguable advantage of there being no set protocol or expectation. However, these sites are designed for social networking rather than dating.
Older singles often become frustrated with the lack of focus created by social networking websites. These may well be the online domain of teenage loves, crushes, broken hearts and reputations, but to a single looking for a meaningful connection with a likeminded person, the pools of the likes of Face book can seem troublesome and daunting. Teens on the other hand often thrive on this element of online drama and varied interaction.

Accessibility to internet has brought about radical changes in terms of information and communication. Due to these changes now it is so easy to get online.

Social networking sites like Twitter, Face Book, LinkedIn, foursquare, MySpace etc bring more and more people online, especially the youngsters. Twitter in particular is used by journalists as an outlet to release breaking news because it is not only instant but can also effectively reach to a huge number of audiences.

The development of mobile phones having access to internet has also contributed a lot to have up-to-date information, news or progress of events worldwide.

Social media in general is a positive development, especially for freelance journalists as it gives a huge range of possibilities in terms of getting work! It is very tough to step into this industry and when the only media outlets that existed were print publications, there were limited opportunities for young journalists. However, the emergence of online media has created more prospects for writers and journalists both.

Besides many advantages of social media its ethical aspect especially in context of journalism is very important.

The dangerous thing about it is somewhat lack of control. As there could be anyone create a website or a blog etc so there are a number of ethical issues that are raised, especially since the technological advances move at such a fast pace. Defamation is a huge ethical issue in online journalism. As anybody can write their opinions online and people have so much freedom to express, comment or respond instantly on the internet so it is easy to commit libel. For example, writing a defamatory statement about any individual or organization could be considered libel. However, the problem with the online journalism is where to draw a line?

Despite many advantages of social media in terms of the ability to reach out to a mass audience, the immense freedom people have online can also cause more damage than intended.

Social media has produced a whole new era of media. It means sharing a part of one’s life while soaking in and engaging in parts of other people’s lives. It is the way we stay connected to family and friends as well as meet new peoples. Social media build relationships as we would in real life: share, be considerate, connect people, answer questions, and show some personality. The collaborative use of a community-driven medium to engage with others in transparent, genuine and honest conversation, being transparent, interesting, informative and listening and responding to what others have to say.

Social media reach audiences that might be inaccessible in real life, whether because of age or socio-economic status or geographical location. Imagine being able to connect around the world with a touch of the mouse, getting almost instantaneous feedback reaching millions of people, creating meaningful and authentic relationships and conversations.

Although social media has affected print media to a great extent, but does that indicate that doom is coming to all other traditional media outlets?

Social media expert does not believe traditional media will go away but sees social and traditional media will work together in the future traditional media is failing because it is not reaching the same audience that it used to reach. Instead, social media is reaching that mass audience.

It is true to conclude that social networks are a boon to some, an annoyance to others.

Journalists are, by nature, crafty folk who are wonderfully adept at stalking — I mean, finding sources and relevant information for various and sundry stories. Well, the advent of social media has made the process of reporting all the more nuanced, and has served as a vital channel for everything from finding leads to contacting sources to sharing and furthering one’s brand.

Still, as the Internet continues to expand, it can be difficult to pick and choose which tools are right for journalists — it can be daunting to litter one’s desktop with Twitter applications, social networks, location-based tools and blogs.

Tools such as Face book and Twitter serve as excellent filters for the masses of information circulating on the web. Although many journalists swear by Twitter as a method of spotting and filtering out trends, Face book can also function as a vital reporting tool.

Journalists gather lot of information through these social networking sites. Much of the news would not have been possible even without these social sites.

BBC’s Panorama was on Egypt lastnight. There was an interesting scene where Jane Corbin was interviewing a couple of middle class Egyptian women who spoke of how Facebook saved their country.

If you click on the link below, it will take you to the BBC Panorama webpage. Though it is interesing, if you don’t want to watch it all, just move the timeline cursor to about 19.30 and watch from this time.